Work begins soon on Nute Road bridge

Sunday

Sep 30, 2012 at 3:15 AM

Work on the Nute Road bridge over the Bellamy River will begin the first week of October. At their September 24 meeting, the selectmen authorized the $106,400 "slab over top" project, following CMS's Senior Structural Engineer's presentation.

While CMA's Memorandum summarized two alternatives, engineer Jason Gallant recommended the "slab over top" which, while costing about $3,000 less, "can be built faster." It also is deemed to predict the least environmental impacts and has minimal reliance on the existing structure, whose degree of deterioration cannot yet be determined, according to the Memorandum.

The project is expected to meet the 15-year criteria deemed reasonable. "Slab over top" means that a slab with shallow concrete abutments will be placed just beneath the roadway surface. The memo notes that the "work can be completed using conventional construction techniques."

This will allow the town to have Arthur Hartford, who does the town's road work, begin almosr immediately, no bidding being called for. Jay Moriarty remarked that the selectmen "feel a serious obliation to get this project done...since the closing of the bridge has left a number of residents stranded."

BUSY PLANNING BOARD

On Sept 19 the Planning board accepted an application for an Infant and Toddler Montessori-based Education Center which would be housed in the Shaheen property on Route 108.

Sarah and David Greenshields' plan would involve about fifty children up to 3 years of age. Up to 12 teachers could be on the premises, along with interns from the University of New Hampshire and Community College students, according to the prospectus. The principals also indicated that the facility would be available, off hours, free of charge, to professionals in the Seacoast who are involved with child-care. They stressed their desire to become part of the community.

After vetting the application, the board gave the applicants a list of eleven issues which need to be clarified. The board also indicated that since the plan involves some enlargement of the building, the plan would need to go before the Zoning Board of Adjustment. (The building is a grandfathered commercial use in the Residential/Agricultural zone.) The hearing was continued to Oct. 17.)

Joann Johnson of 18 Freshet road was given the final OK to create two lots from her 9 acres. Although only 600 square feet of the land in contention is in Madbury, the remainder being in Dover, she was required to get approval from boards in both municipalities.

There were no issues with the plan other than those geographical, Abutters wrote in favor of the plan. Part of each new lot will be in conservation, according to Johnson.

The hearing on Chuck Goss' plan for two lots off Cherry Lane was reset again, to Oct. 17.

The board spent quite a bit of time discussing the plan for the paving of the entrance to Old Stage Campground, which traverses 600 feet over a right-of-way. The issue came about because of conditions the board stipulated when changes were made to the campground a couple years ago.

Since the right-of-way is just 20 feet wide, the board moved that the paving should be 18 feet, leaving one-foot shoulders. Beyond the right-of-way, the campground owners are free to pave the roadway however they wish.

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY

Meeting on Sept. 18, the Zoning Board of Adjustment moved the hearing for the proposed assisted living facility on Knox Marsh Road ahead to October 16, 7 p.m. in the Town Hall.

CIVIL WAR MEMORIALS

On Oct. 9 the Madbury Historical Society will host a New Hampshire Humanities Council program entitled "Vanished Veterans - New Hampshire's Civil War Monuments and Memorials."

While New Hampshire did not erect monuments for prior wars, it did so for the Civil War. George Morrison of Bow, who has located, inventoried and photographed the N.H. Civil War memorials, will share his research at this meeting, to be held in the Town Hall beginning at 7 p.m. All are welcome.

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